The Freeing of the Mind
by Hippo and Friends
Summary: Right before they reach the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud and Aeris take a spiritual journey that will change them forever. Rated R for nudity and innuendo. Writer: Hippo


The Freeing of the Mind  
  
By Hippo  
  
Disclaimer: I think this is obvious to everyone, but I do not own these characters. Secondly, this story is rated R, since it involves skinny dipping and implied sexuality. But, to obey the site's rules, there is not actual, ummm, contact, so for those who flamed me over Steam, they're in for a similar disappointment. However, if you're here to explore one's imagination, please enjoy the story, and don't forget to review!  
  
The Freeing of the Mind  
  
It had been two days since he had learned the truth, but the shock was still fresh in Cloud's heart. Cait Sith was a spy. Because of him, the key to the temple was in the hands of the Shinra, and Aeris's mother and Barret's daughter were being held captive. To make matters worse, his enemies would now know his every move. He felt somewhat guilty, since he was the one who found Cait Sith and allowed him to come along, but how could anyone have known?   
  
The whole group, despite the new pressure they were under, continued to the temple. They had been on foot for two days, and suspected they would continued to be that way for at least two days more. They had set up camp, for the sun had set a long time ago, and virtually everyone had gone to sleep, leaving just Cloud and Aeris awake by the dying campfire.  
  
"I can't believe he's a traitor," groaned Cloud.  
  
"I can," insisted Aeris. "I distrusted him from the very beginning. But what can we do about it?"  
  
"When this is all over, I'm going to find his real self and take him out," he replied.  
  
"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Calm down."  
  
"Sorry," Cloud apologized. "I lost myself. But to be honest with you, I don't think I should be here anymore."  
  
"Cloud, are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," he sighed in reply. "I'm just a little frustrated. Holding an innocent woman and a four-year -old girl hostage is low, even for a company like them."  
  
"Why do you think you should leave?" Aeris questioned.  
  
"This is all my fault," Cloud sadly replied. "I was the one who first encountered that cat. And it was me who invited him along. That was very bad judgment on my part. I mean, I should have known Shinra would probably have spies stationed around the world."  
  
"Cloud," began Aeris, "I was there. And if you weren't, I probably would have done the same thing. Everyone makes mistakes, Cloud. And the good part of that is that the Shinra employees will do just that, too."  
  
Cloud began to feel slightly better. He had never thought of it that way.  
  
"Do you remember the lake we passed right before setting up camp?" asked the green-eyed soprano rather suddenly.  
  
"What brought that up?"  
  
"I think we both need to relax," she replied.  
  
"I can't relax. I think we both need to be on guard. I'm not even sure I know who I can trust anymore."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Except you, of course," added Cloud.  
  
Aeris put her hand to her mouth and giggled. "Come on," she ordered as she began to walk in the direction of the lake.  
  
Cloud gave a sigh and followed. Aeris could be so persistent that there was usually no point in arguing with her.  
  
The lake was not that far, and by the time he reached it, Cloud realized it wasn't such a bad idea after all. The moon cast its reflection over the lake, and he could see the shadows of the mountains beyond it. It was a decent view for him and Aeris to look at while they talked off their concerns.  
  
Aeris sat down on a nearby rock and kicked her boots off, and Cloud quickly joined her.  
  
"Hey Aeris," Cloud began.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I never said thank you," he replied.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For the date. I really had fun the other night."  
  
"Aw Cloud, that's so sweet!" exclaimed Aeris as she reached back and began to undo the braiding of her hair.  
  
"What's up?" asked Cloud.  
  
"Let's go for a swim," she suggested.  
  
"A swim?! I really don't think so. I don't have a pair of trunks on me, and I don't know about you, but I can't stray from focusing on the real world."  
  
"Then why did you come to the lake?" asked a puzzled Aeris.  
  
"Well," Cloud attempted to reply, "it's okay to leave it alone a little bit, but it's not something we can just put aside all together."  
  
"Cloud," said Aeris, "worrying about it the whole time isn't going to help anything. Right now everyone else is asleep. Nothing can be done right now anyway."  
  
"I guess you're right, Aeris," replied a defeated Cloud.  
  
"How come we've never had a fight?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject.  
  
"I don't really like to argue," answered Cloud.  
  
"And yet you're always by yourself. Cloud, that's sad."  
  
"It's not that I don't like people," he insisted. "It's just that I don't want people putting their lives on the line for me. If a friend died for my benefit, I could never forgive myself."  
  
"I know how you feel, Cloud, but the truth is we all care about you very much," replied Aeris, very firmly.  
  
"Even Cait Sith?"  
  
"Probably," she stated. "Even if he has loyalty to the Shinra, I think he still needs you alive and well. Plus, you're just as protective to all of you're friends. It's a symbiotic relationship."  
  
Cloud laughed. This girl seemed to know everything.  
  
"That's why you're so important to me," Aeris finished.  
  
With that, she finished undoing the last braid. Her hair was now straight, and Cloud noticed he liked better that way.  
  
"Your hair looks nice like that," he complemented.  
  
"Thanks," she replied with a smile as she took her jacket off.  
  
Cloud's eyes widened. The sight of Aeris' bare shoulders made him look at her in a different way. No longer the goofy flower girl he met in the streets. She seem more elegant and mature. Perhaps sexy.   
  
"You know what else," Aeris started again, "is that's how almost everyone else bonds." She began to unbutton her dress.  
  
"Except for Cloud0," Cloud added sadly.  
  
"Yeah, I know," she replied. "But just think, Aeris. Even the Shinra members are like that. Remember how the helicopter rescued the president at the last minute?"  
  
"Yeah," laughed Cloud. "I was the one who told you that!"   
  
"But no matter what goes on, everybody's actions are limited."  
  
Just then, Aeris finished undoing the last button, and her dress fell to the ground, causing Cloud to almost gasp. She had nothing under it. She stood there in all her naked glory, like when she was born.  
  
"Besides," she continued, "we both need to free our minds."  
  
Cloud stood almost in shock. His heart began to accelerate, and he wanted to say something like "Aeris, you're naked," but his voice was almost totally shut off. He had expected to see a bathing suit, or at least a bikini, under her dress. But instead, nothing.  
  
Aeris, not seeming to notice Cloud's present expression, walked quickly toward the lake, stopping when her feet were submerged.  
  
"Don't tell me you can't swim!" she teased.  
  
"Of course I can. It's just that……."  
  
"Cloud," she interrupted, you really need to enjoy your youth. You'll never get another one." By this point she was waist-deep in the water, standing still and waiting for Cloud to undress and join her. For the longest time, at least from Aeris's point of view, there was dead silence. Then, she heard his clothes rustle, and him approaching the lake. By the time Cloud reached the water, Aeris was floating on her back seeming very relaxed.  
  
"Do you ever wonder if the rest of the human race will come to accept the fact that we're capable of destroying ourselves?" she asked him.  
  
"I hope so," replied Cloud. "To be honest, I never thought about it until I ran into Tifa again."  
  
"Have you ever considered the possibility that there might be other groups out there, just like us? Same beliefs, same goals?"  
  
"It never really occurred to me," mumbled Cloud, trying to forget the situation he was in.  
  
"I'm sure of it," said Aeris. With that, she turned over an dove into the water head first.  
  
"Aeris?" called Cloud, "Where'd you go?"  
  
Dead silence at first. All Cloud could hear were crickets chirping, and the small waves of the lake rolling gently onto the shore. Then, all at once, he heard something quickly rise out of the water and felt a pair of arms, that almost certainly belonged to Aeris, playfully wrap around his neck pretend to choke him.  
  
"Gotha!" she laughed.  
  
Cloud laughed slightly. She was quite unpredictable. He normally didn't enjoy surprise, but, for some reason he couldn't comprehend, this girl made it more pleasant.   
  
Meanwhile, Aeris began to float on her back again. She loved to gaze at the stars. She had been fond of it since she was a child, wondering what other kind of worlds were up there. Of all the companions who visited the observatory the previous week, Aeris felt she was the one who enjoyed it the most.  
  
Suddenly, she felt an arm under her back, and another under her legs, and after that she could no longer feel the water underneath. She felt herself being lifted, and heard a splash-like noise, followed by water drizzling on her.   
  
"Now I've got you!" exclaimed Cloud with a wicked grin.  
  
Aeris squealed in delight. "I knew you'd like this!" she exclaimed happily.  
  
"You're so full of life, Aeris," complemented her companion.  
  
Just then, without warning, Cloud let her slip out of his arms and back into the lake with a loud splash. That was quickly followed by her grabbing Cloud's feet and sending him to join her under the four foot abyss. The two emerged to the surface laughing. Before Aeris could react, Cloud grabbed her again and carried her to the shore before gently setting her down on her feet.   
  
"Aeris, thanks," said Cloud when his laughter finally subsided.  
  
"For what?" she asked, after she had calmed down.  
  
"I haven't been so happy in a long time."  
  
Suddenly, tears began to roll down Aeris's face. This cause Cloud's mood to change as well, and he put a friendly hand on the side of her face.  
  
"Aeris? Why are you crying?" he asked gently as her tears rolled off her cheek and onto his hands.  
  
"Because I love you, Cloud."  
  
"Aeris?" He certainly did not expect it.  
  
"It's true, Cloud. Whenever you're around, I feel so secure. With myself, the world, and everything else. Not even Zack could make me feel that way."  
  
There was another period of silence, which, from Cloud's point of view, seemed to last forever. He almost couldn't believe it. The very girl his was facing loved him. She certainly couldn't be joking, for he could see the sincerity in her moist eyes.  
  
"Aeris," Cloud began softly, "I've only known you for a little while, but in that time, you've showed me the real meaning of happiness. If you didn't come into my life, who knows where I would be? I love you, too, Aeris."   
  
He could say nothing more. Their lips were now locked. Aeris' eyes were closed, with more tears of joy streaming down her face. It was almost as if they were drawn to kiss each other by some mysterious force  
  
"Please tell me I'm not dreaming!" whispered Aeris through her tears.  
  
"You're not," replied Cloud, his own eyes starting to become wet.  
  
With her arms wrapped around Cloud's back, Aeris rested her head against his chest. Her nipples poked his chest, making him feel uneasy.  
  
"Make love to me, Cloud," Aeris whispered in his ear. "Let this moment be ours."  
  
"Aeris.…." he whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know…….."  
  
"Cloud," she began, "we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. At a time like this, we need to live in the moment. It's possible we'll never have one together like this again."  
  
When she finished, she pressed her lips against his. Before he knew it, Cloud found himself kissing back, while moving his hands up and down her bare back.  
  
"You're the nicest girl I've met, Aeris," he whispered.  
  
With that, Cloud gave Aeris a pat on her bare butt. She giggled in response and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"You're the nicest boy," she replied.  
  
"All I want right now is for us to be together," said Cloud softly. "I really don't think either of us can find comfort when we're apart."  
  
"So what's you answer, Cloud," asked Aeris as she continued to smile at him, slightly more seductively.  
  
"Why not," he replied.   
  
And their lips met again.  
  
*****  
  
It was now another two days later. The group had stopped at a lone inn along the road. Today, they were all certain they would reach the temple.  
  
Cloud and Aeris decided to share the same room, but when he awoke this morning, he noticed Aeris was not asleep beside him, like she had the previous morning. It almost made his heart beat faster, for he somewhat worried about the woman he loved.  
  
"Cloud?" called Aeris from the bathroom doorway.  
  
"What's up?" he groggily replied. There she was. He felt relief.  
  
"I need to talk to you about something," she replied nervously.  
  
"I hear you," he continued in the same manner. Suddenly, the relief had gone as quickly as it had came.  
  
"I'm pregnant, Cloud," she said.  
  
Cloud was silent. He knew exactly what had happened. Guilt immediately overtook him, for he felt he had ruined her.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. It was all he could think of to say at the moment.  
  
"Sorry?!" She seemed surprised. "Cloud, I'm so happy!" she insisted, with her eyes tearing. With nothing further ado, she ran to Cloud and threw her arms around him.  
  
"You'll be a great mother," he assured.  
  
"Cloud," said Aeris, "there's more than that. When this is all over, I want to go home with you. There is nothing I want more than for us to spend the rest of our lives together."  
  
"I promise we will," replied Cloud.  
  
And before they knew it, they were at the temple.  
  
Hippo's note: I didn't want to write this story. I really didn't But something always bugged me about (Spoiler Alert!) Aeris' death scene. Cloud, the loner who wants no companionship, who seems indifferent toward everyone who approaches him, suddenly breaks down and cries. I thought it was kind of strange, since he'd seen his fair share of death (even of friends) throughout the game, without such reaction. In the end, I felt I HAD to write this story to show that Aeris lost a girl he truly loved, as well as his unborn child, giving him a better motivation for his grief. 


End file.
